NBC reviving Coach with Craig T. Nelson

The broadcaster is reviving the 1990s sitcom with original series star Craig T. Nelson.

We’re told this not a reboot, but a sequel to the comedy series that ran for nine seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1997.

The pitch: “Coach
Hayden Fox, in the present day, has retired from coaching. He is called
back to become assistant coach to his own grown son, who is the new
head coach at an Ivy league school in Pennsylvania that is just starting
up a new team.”

NBC
has ordered 13 episodes, which will be shot in the traditional
“multi-cam” sitcom production style. There’s no other cast yet, so it’s
unclear if any of the other actors from the original series will
return. Barry Kemp, the original creator of Coach, will write and executive produce.

The move keeps Nelson in the NBC family now that his series Parenthood is
coming to a close and represents the latest move by a TV network to
dive into the recycling bin for buzzworthy content – like how NBC is
reviving Heroes with Heroes Reborn, Showtime is bringing back Twin Peaks and Fox is re-opening The X-Files.

While NBC has demonstrated more rating strength in recent years thanks to The Blacklist and The Voice,
it has struggled to find new break-out comedies. Other attempts at
yesteryear sitcom nostalgia, such as titles starring Michael J. Fox (The Michael J. Fox Show) and Sean Hayes (Sean Saves the World), didn’t work out. But perhaps viewers will take a time out for Coach?